SIUE Safe Zone Participates in St. Louis PrideFest

June 27, 2016, 11:05 AM

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Safe Zone participated in the 37th annual St. Louis PrideFest parade Sunday, June 26. For the fourth consecutive year, a large group of faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends marched along with 170 floats, bands and other parade entries in the 10-block route on Market St.

“The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion has supported the participation of this event, because at SIUE we live our values of inclusion and citizenship,” said Venessa Brown, PhD, associate chancellor and chief diversity officer at SIUE. “The booth and parade have been great opportunities for us to come together as a community and to share that SIUE is a welcoming and safe place for all our students, faculty and staff.

Before the parade began, there was a commemoration near City Hall for the 49 people who were murdered in the Pulse club in Orlando on June 12. Forty-nine representatives stood in Market St. and each held the name of a victim and an American flag.

“Though we celebrate one year of federal marriage recognition, the tragedy in Orlando highlights the ongoing need for education and advocacy efforts,” said Vicky Dean, assistant director of residence life at SIUE.

Safe Zone’s mission at SIUE is to develop a campus community of allies and provide support to LGBT students, faculty and staff with the ultimate goal of developing SIUE as a safe and welcoming place for LGBT people.

Photo: A group of SIUE faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends representing SIUE Safe Zone marched at the St. Louis LGBT PrideFest.